vomit ille animam," "he vomits his purple foul," as is the general conftruction of the words: whereas I fhould fay, "he vomits his purple life;" for I believe that "anima," in this place, means the living principle; and which Virgil, and almost all the ancient phyfiologifts fuppofed to refide in the blood. Lucretius, as a follower of Epicurus, might, for aught I know, fuppofe the foul to refide in the blood, and therefore to be mortal. But had Virgil adopted fuch principles, all the delightful scenes of his Elyfium had been annihilated at once.

Yours, &c.

fufely, fince in the act of his rifing to defend himself, he received all his adversary's sword full in his breast.

totum cui cominus enfem

Condidit affurgenti

L 2

LETTER

LETTER XXII.

ON

VIRGIL's KNOWLEDGE

OF

HORSE S.

Hic et ubique.

Now here, now there.

SIR,

IN my defultory obfervations on Virgil, I beg leave

to screen myself, under the authority of his own example, in his account of the cities and towns of ancient Italy. I continue to remark, that the Latin poet understood and characterized animals more accurately than any other Poet whatever. The individual nature of no animal, from the lordly lion to the industrious bee, or the parfimonious ant, escaped his penetration; and he is remarkable for his bold phrase in attributing human affections to the brute creation. It is an odd kind of phrafe to fay the horse is your

hobby

hobby-horse, though the idea is true; and, to use another common phrafe; Virgil, as a physician for horses, was quite at home in his Veterinarian capa

- city.

Homer has described thofe noble animals, horses, in ftrong general terms; he fometimes fays, " they are whiter than fnow, and swifter than the winds;" and deduces their pedigree with the accuracy of a Newmarket jockey, and frequently makes his heroes address them as capable of reflection. But to endow them with human sentiment, was an honour reserved for the improving genius of the Roman bard. In proof of my observation, peruse the 3d Georgic— remark the choice of a colt, from his fiery spirit.

"The first to lead the way, to tempt the flood,
To pafs the bridge unknown, nor fear the trembling
"" wood."

Mark the fame when he became a horfe of war,

Tum fiqua fonum procul arma dedere

Stare loco nefcit, micat auribus, & tremit artus,
Collectumque premens volvit fub naribus ignem.

"The fiery courfer, when he hears from far
"The sprightly trumpet, and the found of war ;
"Erects his ears, and trembling with delight,
"Shifts pace and paws; and hopes the promis'd

"On his right fhoulder his thick mane reclin'd,
"Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind:
"His horny hoofs are jetty black and round,
"His chine is double; ftarting with abound
"He turns the turf, and shakes the folid ground;
"Fire from his eyes, clouds from his noftrils flow,
"He bears his rider headlong on the foe."

There is nothing fimilar (for a reason I will affign you hereafter) and nothing equal, that I recollect, in all the Iliad or Odyssey; the Virgilian war-horse is most beautiful; but in animation inferior to the oriental steed described by the Man of Uz.* "He has his neck cloathed with thunder-the glory of his noftrils is terrible-he rejoiceth in his strength-he fwalloweth the ground with fiercenefs and rage-he fmelleth the battle afar off-he fays among the trumpets ha! ha!" Thefe are images which no language but the oriental is capable of expreffing.

Job.

Perufe

Perufe again Virgil's defcription of the Chariot-race,

and that particular verse

Tantus amor laudûm, tantæ eft victoria curæ.

Where the running-horfe is announced to be fufceptible of praise, and ambitious of victory. Mark again, in the inimitable defcription of the murrain, or the plague among cattle, how he pourtrays the diseased horse.

Labitur infelix ftudiorom, atque immemor herbe

Victor equus

"The Victor-horfe, forgetful of his food,

"The palm renounces, and abhors the flood.”

More of this hereafter.

Yours, &c. &c.

LETTER